how is avast really works?

[cherrydee]

i dont seem to receive much reports everyday. except only when i scan on demand. when i was using kaspersky i get a lot of reports and most of them are internet intrusion being blocked by the AV.

but i dont like it so i changed to avast. but its weird i dont receive much reports. is it because avast is just AV and not internet security?

[Lisandro]

That reports seems to came from the firewall and, indeed, avast is an antivirus only, not a firewall.
You should use a firewall side-by-side as avast.

[DavidR]

- There are many freeware firewalls such as, Comodo (care required now it is a suite not to install the anti-virus element), PCTools Firewall Plus, Jetico, etc. - Zone Alarm free works fine with avast and has a reasonably friendly user interface, however, the free version is becoming bloated with trial ware and is also crippled as far as outbound protection goes In the Program Control, configuration area, the slider will only goes as far as Medium protection, if you want more you have to buy the Pro version.

See A Forum discussion on free firewalls http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=30808.0
See http://www.matousec.com/projects/firewall-challenge/results.php.

[cherrydee]

should i download a firewall program? or i could just use windows firewall?

[cherrydee]

and guys 1 more thing. someone sent me to download super antispyware free edition so that i could check if avast have missed something. but is it ok to run it together with avast? cause they say i should only run 1 AV at a time. tnx. sorry im not good in this. still a begginer.

[CharleyO]

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SAS works well along with avast ... as does MBAM and several others.


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[YoKenny]

should i download a firewall program? or i could just use windows firewall?

I do not use a software firewall because I have a good hardware firewall provided by my ISP's modem.

See the interview with a MBAM developer about software based firewalls:
http://www.besttechie.net/2008/08/20/malwarebytes-developer-interview <== starting about 8 minutes into the video

[DavidR]

should i download a firewall program? or i could just use windows firewall?

Yes I believe you should and a hardware firewall unless it specifically states it scans outbound traffic, then it doesn't and that can leave a hole in your defence.

Any malware that manages to get past your defences will have free reign to connect to the internet to either download more of the same, pass your personal data (sensitive or otherwise, user names, passwords, keylogger retrieved data, etc.) or open a backdoor to your computer, so outbound protection is essential.

[YoKenny]

should i download a firewall program? or i could just use windows firewall?

Yes I believe you should and a hardware firewall unless it specifically states it scans outbound traffic, then it doesn't and that can leave a hole in your defence.

Any malware that manages to get past your defences will have free reign to connect to the internet to either download more of the same, pass your personal data (sensitive or otherwise, user names, passwords, keylogger retrieved data, etc.) or open a backdoor to your computer, so outbound protection is essential.

Then you are not doing a vigilant job of protecting your system and trying last ditch efforts of recovering from permitting malware on your system. 

[cherrydee]

can u give me link on a good firewall software?
i currently have avast + super AS

[YoKenny]

can u give me link on a good firewall software?
i currently have avast + super AS

How do you connect to the Internet?
What is the modem you use?

[cherrydee]

im using dsl. i applied for 512kbps service but i duno if my pc is really running that fast. lol.

[Lisandro]

can u give me link on a good firewall software?

Personal Firewall Tests & Results. Firewall rating:
http://www.matousec.com/projects/firewall-challenge/results.php
About the leak tests limitations: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=29259.msg247460#msg247460

Freeware firewalls:
http://www.firewallleaktester.com/tests_overview.php
http://www.thefreecountry.com/security/firewalls.shtml

[DavidR]

<snip>
Then you are not doing a vigilant job of protecting your system and trying last ditch efforts of recovering from permitting malware on your system. 

Sorry not entirely correct, how do you think zero day infections get on to systems, new MS exploits, etc. etc., because they aren't detected by your security systems.
Why do you think that people come to the viruses and worms forum, having been infected when they had what they felt was adequate protection.
Why is it that some visiting this forum are only aware of having an infection because their firewall blocked an unauthorised outbound connection.

So it pays to have a contingency to try and stop them getting out to further reap havoc. It is adding another level of security if all other elements have failed. It too might fail depending on the type of attack, but that plainly doesn't mean we shouldn't bother using one.

What is good for you or me for that matter is not necessarily good for the average person visiting these forums who need all the help and protection that a third party firewall might give.

[CharleyO]

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In addition to what David posted above, some commercially available software contains what most of us on this forum would surely consider adware/spyware. The general computer user has no idea that these commercially available types of software contain such things until they come here looking for help. Without a software firewall that provides outbound protection (or a router that actually has this which most do not), these adware/spyware applications are free to go out and bring back whatever they want to the users computer.

YoKenny, you are somewhat right when you write ... "Then you are not doing a vigilant job of protecting your system" ... but we have to remember that the average computer users who come here looking for help has no idea about how such problems happen to them unless we, or someone else, enlightens them and provides them with solutions to their problems.


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